Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to assist the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association to deliver its 2018 Plug-in Pledge that will see its members' combined plug-in vehicle fleet size increase from 50,000 to 720,000 by 2025.

baroness sugg: This initiative from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is most welcome. Many forward thinking businesses and consumers are already benefiting from whole life cost savings that can be made from choosing plug-in vehicles. The Government already offers the Plug-in Car Grant to help with the cost of purchasing electric vehicles and has pledged that this will continue in some form until at least 2020. Consumer incentives in some form will continue to play a role beyond 2020. The Government has established a favourable tax regime to incentivise the purchase of the cleanest vehicles, in particular zero emission vehicles. The Government recognises that the availability of adequate charging infrastructure is vital and offers a variety of grant funding schemes to support recharging infrastructure in motorists’ homes, workplaces and on residential streets. The Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF), funded with £200m of new Government investment and matched by £200m from private investors, will accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure and enable thousands more publicly accessible chargepoints. The full range of steps that the Government is taking was set out in the Road To Zero Strategy in July 2018.

Department for Transport: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government which sub-central public bodies associated with the Department of Transport are within scope of Regulation 113 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 requiring contracting authorities to pay undisputed invoices within 30 days and to publish their payment performance online.

baroness sugg: The information required to answer this PQ is not held in the format requested. As a guide, the Department for Transport’s Executive Agencies (the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and Vehicle Certification Agency) in the main operate under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, whilst arm’s length bodies such as HS2 and Network Rail ordinarily operate under the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 whenever they are procuring works, services or supplies contracts.

Channel Ferries: Freight

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 21 February (HL13574),what they have spent or committed, in staff, consultancy and other costs, on work related to the procurement exercise to secure additional freight capacity after Brexit; and what assessment they have made of the impact on such costs of the approach to nine companies and the award to only three.

baroness sugg: Combined costs of external legal, financial and project assurance advice on all three freight contracts including legal advice up to the end of December 2018 were approximately £800,000. Subsequent costs cannot yet be derived as contracts are still live and invoices pending. Preliminary discussions with the wider set of nine operators, to assess market appetite and help secure value for money, were undertaken as part of the Department’s broader Maritime EU Exit work, and could not accurately be disaggregated without disproportionate cost; no external consultancy costs were incurred in this exercise.

Air Pollution: Hounslow

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the (1) number of deaths that can be attributed to poor air quality in the London Borough of Hounslow; and(2)impact of the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport on such numbers.

baroness sugg: Air quality is a national health issue, which this Government takes very seriously. This is why the Government recently published the Clean Air Strategy, which includes new measures and funding to cut pollution and save lives. Public Health England is responsible for collecting data to better understand public health challenges. This data is publically available via the Public Health Outcomes Framework for England portal,[1] which includes an indicator for air pollution expressed as the fraction of adult mortality attributable to long-term exposure to human-made particulate air pollution. The most recent published estimates available are for 2017. These show 6.4% for Hounslow, which is lower than the London average of 6.5%. The estimates do not cite a specific cause of death of any individual, but reflect an equivalency which is used to assess the impacts of particulate air pollution contributing to death. With regard to Heathrow expansion, the Airports National Policy Statement is clear that development consent would not be granted if the Secretary of State for Transport is not satisfied that the scheme would be compatible with legal obligations on air quality. As part of the development consent process, an applicant is required to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality effects of the scheme, including during construction, and to put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations where necessary to ensure compliance with air quality obligations. The applicant is also required to produce a detailed Health Impacts Assessment to set out the scheme’s impacts on public health, including from worse air quality. [1] https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework/data#gid/1000043/par/E12000004.

Seaborne Freight

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 21 February (HL13660), whether any Ministers or officials have met representatives or agents of Arklow Shipping Limited in connection with Seaborne Freight.

baroness sugg: There were a number of conversations involving officials and Arklow Shipping before it withdrew support, leading to termination of the Department’s contract with Seaborne.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what response they have received from representations they have made on behalf of (1) Pastor John Cao, (2) Mussie Ezaz, (3) Imran Ghafur Masih, (4) Mussie Eyob, (5) Mohammed Roghangir Mohammad, (6) Le Dinh Luong, (7) Nguyễn Văn Hoá, (8) Nguyễn Trung Tôn, (9) Bakhrom Kholmatov, (10) Hadi Asgari, (11) Amin Afshar Naderi, (12) Ebrahim Firouzi, (13) Qaisar and Amoon Ayub, (14) Abraham Ben Moses, (15) Shagufta Kausar, (16) Shafqat Emmanuel, (17) Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, (18) Saheb Fadaie, and (19) Yasser Mohammad Reza Omidi, all of whom are prisoners of consciencewho have reportedly been subject to torture.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government regards Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. We raise a range of cases, but cannot routinely discuss publicly the details of individual cases for the protection of those involved.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office encourages all States to uphold their international human rights obligations. Any allegations of human rights violations are concerning and must be thoroughly, promptly and transparently investigated.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that representatives of the Republic of Libya have been lobbying permanent members of the UN Security Council to seek a release of frozen Libyan assets; and whether theyhave contacted permanent members of the UN Security Council to ensure that no funds are unfrozen until an agreement between the UK and Libya has been reached to compensate UK citizens who suffered as a result of Gaddafi supplyingSemtex to the IRA.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Libyan assets in the UK were frozen under UN Security Council Resolution 1973 at the request of the Libyan authorities in 2011. These assets can only be unfrozen by gaining the agreement of all members of the UN Security Council. No request has been made to the Security Council, and Her Majesty's Government has not contacted permanent members of the Security Council regarding this matter.

Syria: Turkey

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are objecting to Turkish acts of implied sovereignty, for example, training local police and opening Post Offices in the provinces of Jarabulus, Al Bab and Afrin in Syria; and if not, why not.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In their public statements and in discussions with British Government representatives, the Turkish authorities have repeatedly affirmed that Turkey fully respects Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity and supports UN-led efforts to achieve a negotiated political settlement which would enable all areas of the country to be brought under the authority of the Syrian state.

USA: Israel

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raisedwith the government of theUnited States the decision announced by the United States' Secretary of State in October 2018 to merge the United States Consulate General in Jerusalem into the new United States Embassy; and when theyestimatethe creation of a single United States diplomatic mission in Jerusalemto take place.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware of the United States' decision to merge their Embassy in Jerusalem with the US Consulate General Jerusalem and understand the merger will take place at the beginning of March. We have been clear that we disagree with the US' decision to move its Embassy in Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. We have no plans to change our diplomatic representative to either Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK remains committed to achieving a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Israel’s planned decision to confiscate funds allocated by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinians who the government of Israel claims are involved in attacks against Israelis.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We expect economic and fiscal agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to continue to be fully implemented, including Israel's obligations under the Oslo Accords and Paris Protocol. We have concerns regarding the nature of the Palestinian system of payments to detainees in Israeli jails and families and lobby the PA on this issue. But this is not a justification for withholding agreed tax revenues. We therefore regret the Israeli decision to withhold some of the tax revenues Israel regularly transfers to the PA and are concerned about the impact this will have on the PA's fiscal stability. Government officials discussed these concerns with Israeli Government Officials in London on 21 February.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel about its reported intention to demolish two homes, a barn, a nature reserve and a playground in Palestinian communities close to Yatta.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not made any representations on this specific matter, we continue to be gravely concerned by the impact of demolitions and evictions on ordinary Palestinians and on the viability of a future Palestinian state. We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. We call on them to cease the policy of demolitions and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel about (1) threats of violence, and (2) actual violence reportedly made by settlers towards Palestinians who seek advice from lawyers or humanitarian organisations about protecting their land.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We continue to urge the Israeli Government to fully respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and organisations and for those who seek their advice. The British Government condemns any violence by settlers against Palestinians. Under international law, Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to take all measures in its power to protect the Palestinian population from all acts of violence. The British Government also supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or eviction to seek advice through our legal aid programme.

Israeli Settlements: Environment Protection

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental damage caused by settlers to the West Bank in particular regard to olive trees, water resources, land excavation, and waste water pollution.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are concerned by the reports of environmental damage. We have made clear to the Israeli authorities our concerns about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the damage to water sources and the destruction of Palestinian agricultural land that has been caused by settlement-related activity. We condemn the destruction of Palestinian property and have called on the Israeli authorities to cease such activity.

Gaza: Travel Restrictions

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about that government denying permits to cancer patients to leave Gaza for treatment elsewhere in Palestinian territory.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We raised this issue with the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories on 18 February. We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on movement and access in Gaza, and the impact that this is having on the humanitarian situation. We have frequent discussions with the Governments of Israel and Egypt about the need to ease restrictions on Gaza. We call on the Israeli Government to ease restrictions further and for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work together to ensure a durable solution for Gaza.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of attacks on schools by Israeli settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank and the impact of such attacks on Palestinian children and their education.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have not made any assessment on this issue. The right to education is a basic right and every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security. Last year, UK support contributed towards the salaries of approximately 33,000 public servants under the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, including teachers, helping 25,000 young Palestinians to receive an education.

Sudan: Demonstrations

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Sudan regarding allegations that that government are applying fake United Nations logos to Sudanese security services vehicles in order to infiltrate protests; and whether they plan to ask the UN Secretary-General to investigate these allegations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of some allegations circulating on social media relating to a vehicle bearing what appear to be UN markings. We are unable to verify these as the provenance of the images is unclear, but any allegations of persons seeking to misrepresent themselves as UN personnel are of serious concern to the UK. We liaise closely with members of the international community and the UN in Sudan to analyse and assess the situation on the ground, including the government of Sudan's response to ongoing protests. We continue to urge the government of Sudan, through public messaging and direct engagement at the highest levels, to respect the rights of the Sudanese people, including their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Nigeria: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund was used to finance the construction of a £700,000 prison wing in Nigeria; and if so, for what purpose.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is supporting a wide programme of reform to Nigeria's criminal justice system. Progress in the construction of a new wing at Kiri Kiri Prison in Nigeria using funding from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund has been delayed. While £750,000 was initially allocated to this project, only £14,000 has been spent so far on scoping and design. The UK continues to support Nigeria's criminal justice system through other activities.

Ilois: Resettlement

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Advisory Opinion of 25 February from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, what assessment they have made of the compensation they may be required to pay to the government of Mauritius to allow Chagossians who wish to return to the archipelago to be resettled.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​In November 2016, following a comprehensive review, the Government considered all the available information and has decided not to support resettlement of Chagossians on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests, and cost to the British tax payer. The decision was announced by Written Ministerial Statement on 16 November 2016.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Taxation

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of senior NHS medical staff who have received tax demands for exceeding their Annual Allowance in tax years (1) 2015–16, (2) 2016–17 and (3) 2017–18; and what estimate they have made of the number of such staff who may receive such demands in the 2018–19 tax year.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department does not hold data on the number of senior medical staff who have received an annual allowance charge. For this reason, no estimate has been made of charges for members in 2018-19. The annual allowance takes into account all of an individual’s pension savings, excluding the State Pension, and NHS Pension Scheme members may have pension savings independent of the NHS Pension Scheme.

Nurses: Diabetes

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of registered nurses in England who have Type 2 diabetes.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The information requested is not centrally held.

Take-away Food: Delivery Services

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enforce standards of health and hygiene on online takeaway delivery companies.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Local authorities in the United Kingdom are responsible for undertaking inspections and other interventions to check that food businesses are complying with food law requirements and for enforcing these where this is not the case.As for other food businesses, those selling or supplying food they produce via online sales platforms and those businesses delivering food ordered via the internet have a legal responsibility to register with their local authority. The business is then included in the authority’s planned programme of risk-based inspections and interventions and enforcement action will be taken as appropriate where legal requirements are not being met.How food is sold or supplied over the internet has become increasingly diverse and complex and this poses challenges in relation to determining if an enterprise meets the legal definition of a food business and what its responsibilities are. The Food Standards Agency has recognised this and is committed to providing guidance for local authorities and for internet businesses so that public health and consumer protection are maintained.

Food: Advertising

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to adopt and implement the Mayor of London’s junk food advertising ban across Transport for London elsewhere in England.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We will shortly be launching a consultation on further advertising restrictions which will consider a range of options aimed at reducing children’s exposure to advertising of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products. We will consider all responses to the consultation.We are also delivering a trailblazer programme working with local authorities to address childhood obesity. The programme will help us to learn and share what works at local level and explore the barriers to tackling childhood obesity locally and the limits of existing powers. For some local authorities, applying further restrictions on HFSS advertising to children locally is a priority.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Children and Young People

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Manzoor on 29 January (HL12882), in what format the information requested, or similar information, is available.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: National data on the number of mental health inpatient beds for children and young people is available from 2013/14 onwards is shown in the following table. YearNumber of mental health inpatient beds for children and young people2013/141,3432014/151,3862015/161,4422016/171,4492017/181,465As of 1 April 20181,503 Source: NHS England management information. Data on mental health inpatient beds for children and young people is available by region from 2016/17 onwards, and is shown for the North West and East Midlands areas in the following table.   YearNumber of mental health inpatient beds for children and young people North West1East Midlands22016/172101312017/182101312018/19 (April)2101312018/19 (December)210151Source: NHS England management information1 Includes Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire.2 Includes Derbyshire. Information for December 2018/19 has been included in order to reflect changes in the area covered by the East Midlands category.

Mental Illness: Drugs

baroness hollins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to ensure the continued delivery of psychiatric medication to pharmacies in England in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We understand that psychiatric medicines are vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans aim to ensure that the supply of psychiatric medicine and other essential medicines to patients is not disrupted in all European Union exit scenarios, including in the event we exit the EU without a deal.We are confident that, if everyone does what they need to do, the supply of medicines will be uninterrupted in the event of exiting the EU without a deal.The Department is working closely with trade bodies, product suppliers, the health and care system in England, the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies, to make detailed plans to ensure the continuation of the supply of medicines to the whole of the United Kingdom in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the provision of Official Development Assistance is tied to the recipient of such assistance using goods and services from the UK.

lord bates: The UK has a clear policy to keep all its aid untied. This is set out in the 2015 Aid Strategy. Untied aid promotes value for money through ensuring open competition for aid-funded programmes. British businesses are already extremely competitive and do not need the implicit subsidy of tied aid to win work.Recent statistical information on UK ODA can be found in DFID's Annual Report for 2018 available on DFID’s website.

Department for Education

Higher Education: Correspondence

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 20 February (HL13570), what regulations are in place to ensure that Higher Education institutions maintain high standards of accuracy and transparency in correspondence with external stakeholders, especially correspondence relating to offers for study on a deferred basis.

viscount younger of leckie: While higher education institutions have autonomy over admissions, the vast majority of undergraduate applications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are handled by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) on behalf of those institutions. As the shared admissions service, UCAS offers support to universities and colleges in this area through their services. It is also in institutions’ interests to keep accurate and transparent records of applications and admission. The Office for Students, as the independent regulator of higher education, also has a legal responsibility to ensure that registered institutions are acting in the best interests of students, including support in access to higher education.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government which sub-central public bodies associated with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are within scope of Regulation 113 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 requiring contracting authorities to pay undisputed invoices within 30 days and to publish their payment performance online.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) publish prompt payment information for MHCLG, the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) and Homes England (HE); the data is published on a quarterly basis (attached) on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-prompt-payment-data). This is in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Statutory guidance for contracting authorities and Suppliers on paying undisputed invoices in 30 days down the supply chain), and is issued under Regulation 113.The Planning Inspectorate is an Executive Agency of MHCLG, and Homes England is a non-departmental public body.



Prompt payment data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 9.28 KB)

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on road traffic, in particular HGVs and coaches, in central London, of the proposed Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens (1) during its construction, and (2) once in use.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We have carried out detailed assessments of the impact on traffic of both the construction and operation phases. Providing full information will exceed the words limit to answer. The full reports are publicly available as part of the planning application at:https://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PL0CVYRP27O00 .

Local Government: Devolution

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government when details on the scope of the devolution framework will be made available; and whether they intend to involve local government in the design of such a framework.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government’s manifesto committed to providing clarity across England on what devolution means for different administrations so all authorities operate in a common framework. We have had some initial engagement with local government organisations, including the Local Government Association, on our approach. We will, of course, continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders while aiming to provide local areas with clarity on how best to take forward their devolution and local growth ambitions as soon as practicable.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 20 February (HL13503), what the total cost of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is expected to be.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The estimated cost of building the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is £102 million (including VAT).

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 20 February (HL13503), how much has been raised to date through the society-wide fundraising effort to deliver the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and its wider educational objectives.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: A newly established independent charity, headed up by Foundation member Gerald Ronson CBE, will lead the effort to secure pledges towards the fundraising campaign.

Social Services: Children

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on children's services of the overall reduction by 29 per cent of Government funding for local authority children's departments since 2010.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Local government services, including children’s services, are funded through the local government finance settlement. Funding is generally unringfenced to allow local authorities the freedom and flexibility to set their own service budgets to meet local needs. Spending Review 2015 made available over £200 billion across this five-year spending period.In recognition of the pressures on services such as social care, at Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced an extra £410 million to address pressures on adult and children social care services. In total local authorities have been given access to £46.4 billion in 2019-20; a cash-increase of 2.8 per cent from £45.1 billion in 2018-19.Central government funding in isolation cannot provide a true representation of local authority finances, much of which is locally raised such as council tax. Furthermore, since 2010 the responsibilities of local authorities and the makeup of their funding streams have changed significantly, for example, with the introduction of the Business Rates Retention Scheme in 2013/14 which allows local authorities to keep local growth in their business rates income.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Slug Pellets

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toreview existing research on earthworms with particular regard to the impact of slug pellets on earthworms and small birds, especially thrushes.

lord gardiner of kimble: Slug pellets are regulated as pesticides. This means that they may only be sold and used if scientific risk assessments find no harmful effect on people and no unacceptable effects on the environment. Possible effects on wildlife (including earthworms and birds) are considered as part of the environmental assessment. Regulatory decisions are regularly reviewed so that safety can be reassessed using the latest data and scientific knowledge. A recent review of the substance metaldehyde raised concerns about risks to birds and mammals; the use of slug pellets containing metaldehyde is therefore being phased out. Other slug pellets are based on ferric phosphate; the latest risk assessment of this substance concluded that it met all the safety requirements, including those relating to earthworms and birds.

Food Supply

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that a no-deal Brexit could have on the UK's food supplies.

lord gardiner of kimble: As a responsible Government, we are preparing for all eventualities including that of leaving the EU without a deal. Extensive work to prepare for a no deal scenario has been under way for the last two years to ensure the country continues to operate as smoothly as possible from the day we leave.The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. This will continue to be the case whether we leave the EU with or without a deal.The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry on food supply chain issues. This includes working with Defra’s long established Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group, which allows Government and industry to work together to plan for and respond to any food supply disruption.This industry group’s membership is drawn from across the agri-food chain sector and includes other relevant Government departments, devolved administrations and agencies. Defra will continue to work closely with food industry stakeholders on the potential impacts of a no deal scenario on the food and drink industry, as well as the contingency planning measures being taken by industry.

Home Office

Housing: Asylum

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many private companies run government-supported accommodation for asylum seekers.

baroness williams of trafford: UKVI currently discharges their statutory duty to provide destitute asylum seeker accommodation and transport via a suite of COMPASS contracts with three providers: G4S in the North East, Yorkshire & Humberside and the Midlands; Serco in the North West, Scotland and Northern Ireland and Clearsprings Ready Homes in London, the South and Wales.

Housing: Asylum

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers live in government-supported accommodation which has been deemed substandard.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place to ensure that the required performance standards expected of all providers, as defined in the contracts, are met. Home Office inspections have found that accommodation generally meets the required standards and where defects are identified they are resolved within the timescales set out in the contract. Where Providers have failed to meet these contractual service standards sanctions have been imposed.

Immigration: EU Nationals

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 14 February (HL Deb, col 1934), what is the minimum necessary documentation required from EU citizens applying for settled status in order to (1) prove residency, and over what period; (2) prove identity; and (3) prove the absence of criminal convictions.

baroness williams of trafford: The EU Settlement Scheme provides a simple, streamlined process for resident EU citizens and their family members to obtain the UK immigration status which they will need in order to remain here permanently.Continuity of UK residence for settled or pre-settled status will be established, where possible, by automated checks of employment and benefits records, if the applicant chooses to provide their National Insurance number. This will minimise the extent to which applicants need to provide documentary evidence of residence. Where they do, a wide range of documents can be used, as set out in the guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-evidence-of-uk-residenceThe applicant can prove their identity remotely through the identity verification app which has been developed for the scheme and which can also be accessed at what will be a wide range of locations across the UK. From the full opening of the scheme by 30 March 2019, they will also be able to post their identity document to the Home Office to have this checked and returned to them as soon as possible.In respect of criminality, applicants aged 18 or over are required to provide information about previous criminal convictions in the UK and overseas, and are only required to declare past criminal convictions which appear in their criminal record in accordance with the law of the State of conviction at the time of the application. All applications are subject to a check against the Police National Computer.

Immigration: EU Nationals

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will be providing (1) a live helpline, and (2) an email address, for EU applicants for settled status in the UK to contact for support with their application.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is putting in place measures to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is streamlined, user-friendly and accessible to all prospective applicants. There is a broad range of support in place including the Settlement Resolution Centre (SRC) which provides assistance to applicants who need additional information or support about the scheme. If an applicant has a question they can call the Settlement Resolution Centre or complete the standard email template available on GOV.UK which is then sent to a central inbox within the Settlement Resolution Centre.The SRC is open from Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm, excluding public holidays, and on Saturday and Sunday between 9.30am and 4.30pm. We will have up to 300 SRC staff in place when the scheme launches by the 30 March.

Immigration: EU Nationals

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of whether EU self-employed workers are experiencing particular difficulties in applying for settled status in the UK; and if so, what they are.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is putting in place measures to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is streamlined, user-friendly and accessible to all prospective applicants. Applicants will only need to complete three key steps - prove their identity, show that that they live in the UK, and declare any criminal convictions. Where an applicant provides a National Insurance Number, we will conduct an automated check of residence based on tax and certain benefit records.The checks with HMRC caters for those who are self-employed and where a self-assessment is submitted with a profit, this counts as a year’s residence. However, the tax year for self-assessment is up to a year behind a person’s potential residence. For instance, the tax return for the financial year 2017/ 2018 is completed in January 2019. This means there will be no data to confirm residence for the current tax year but applicants can upload supplementary evidence to fill in any gaps in the data.We will accept a range of documents as evidence and the documents can be submitted digitally through the online application form.

British Nationality

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the criteria for depriving British citizens of their nationality; what safeguards international law provides for such deprivation; and what additional safeguards they have put in place to ensure that the deprivation of citizenship is used only as a last resort.

baroness williams of trafford: The power to deprive a person of their British citizenship is found in Section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981. Any individual may be deprived of their British citizenship if the Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good and all such decisions are taken personally by the Home Secretary.Decisions to deprive can be made on conducive grounds where individuals pose a threat to national security, have been involved in war crimes, serious and organised crime, or demonstrated unacceptable behaviours such as extremism, fomenting hatred, or glorifying terrorist violence.Decisions to deprive are compatible with the UK’s international obligations under the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The threshold for such decisions is high and the power is used sparingly. All decisions include an assessment of whether it is reasonable and proportionate to deprive to protect the fundamental interests of society.

Police: Equality

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help promote diversity and ethnic minority representation in UK police forces.

baroness williams of trafford: There is a greater proportion of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) officers than ever before, however the Government has been clear that there is more for forces to do.The Government established the College of Policing as the professional body for policing. The College has delivered a major programme of work to address the recruitment, retention and progression of officers from BAME and other under-represented groups in policing including: capturing what works; publishing positive action advice; and reviewing the initial recruitment processes. A pilot of a new assessment centre for police officer recruits is now underway, led by the Metropolitan Police, and an evaluation is expected to be published by the College of Policing in autumn 2019.Building on the foundations laid by the College, the National Police Chief’s Council published its first Diversity, Equality and Inclusion strategy in October 2018.Ministers are in regular dialogue with policing partners about increasing police workforce diversity. The Home Secretary chaired a Race Diversity Roundtable with policing leaders in October 2018, following which he wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners, the College of Policing, Her Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and chief constables, urging a whole system approach to driving improvements in diversity.

British Nationality

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a policy in place for whether any nation takes precedence over another when determining when someone with dual nationality is to be deprived of citizenship.

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is ever their policy to make an individual stateless by depriving them of their citizenship; what assessment they have made of the impact on an individual with dual nationality of being deprived of their citizenship of both countries; whether they provide guidance to officials for such a scenario; and if so, what is that guidance.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no policy for prioritising nationality when deciding whether to deprive an individual with dual nationality of their British citizenship.When making a decision to deprive an individual of British citizenship, the law requires that such a decision may not be made if it would make the individual stateless. This is compatible with the UK’s international obligations under the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The Government cannot comment on the use of deprivation by other countries.

Treasury

Company Cars: Taxation

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of maintaining company car tax rates on the transition to electric vehicles following the introduction of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure.

lord bates: The government has engaged with stakeholders as part of the review of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) and vehicle taxes which closed on 17 February. The review sought evidence on how reported carbon dioxide emissions are impacted by the introduction of WLTP and whether any adjustment should be made to Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax from April 2020. Responses to the review are currently being analysed and the government has committed to publishing a response in the spring.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what monies have been returned to HM Treasury by the Northern Ireland Executive under the Budget Exchange Scheme in the form of either non-cash Resource or Financial Transactions Capital for the last three years for which figures are available.

lord bates: The total non-cash Resource and Financial Transaction Capital returned to HM Treasury by the Northern Ireland Executive for the last three years is set out in the table: £millionRing-fenced (non-cash) ResourceFinancial Transaction Capital2015-16292.202016-1796.534.52017-18100.7 (planned)109.4 This funding is ring-fenced for specific purposes, including non-cash depreciation/impairments and loans or equity investments to the private sector.

Child Benefit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been required to repay child benefit under the High Income Child Benefit Charge each year since that charge was introduced.

lord bates: Estimates of the numbers paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) in respect of each tax year since 2012-13 are shown in the table below.  2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Thousands360366319296289279

Taxation: EU Action

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byLord Bates on 19 January (HLWS1308) concerning the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting of 12 February, what position was taken by the UK during the exchange of views on the European Commission’s proposal to move to qualified majority voting in EU taxation policy.

lord bates: As set out in an explanatory memorandum dated 5 February 2019,[1] the government does not support the use of qualified majority voting (QMV) in the field of taxation and this remains the case following the recent Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) discussion. [1] http://europeanmemoranda.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/files/2019/02/Scan.pdf



EM attached.
(PDF Document, 9.67 MB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Standards

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a technical fragmentation in new Internet Protocol standards may last indefinitely, and of the impact this could have on (1) future global communications, and (2) online safety.

lord ashton of hyde: Officials from DCMS and other departments and agencies work closely with the internet sector on the technology and standards that underpin the internet. Different Internet Protocol standards have co-existed for 15 years or more and we do not see this as a threat to future global communications or online safety, a view widely shared by industry. We will continue to keep abreast of developments and stimulate appropriate action should this be necessary in the future.

Television: Advertising

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the commercial impact of Brexit uncertainty on UK business marketing; and of the impactof a decline in advertising revenue on UK television broadcasters.

lord ashton of hyde: Advertising and marketing are a central driver of the UK economy, as well as an important source of revenue to broadcasters, and the Government is committed to supporting the continued growth of the industry across the whole of the UK. The industry is world-beating and fast-moving. Whether through the Creative Industries Sector Deal or the Digital Charter, the Government is helping it to grow and adapt in a changing landscape.The UK's decision to leave the EU will not change that. We are working closely with the sector to understand the specific impacts and opportunities of leaving the EU on business.

Basketball: Clubs

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byLord Ashton of Hyde on 18 January (HL Deb, cols 77GC–80GC), what plans they have to support local basketball clubs to ensure that such clubs can continue to benefit their communities; and whether they intend to work alongside the basketball governing bodies to this end.

lord ashton of hyde: We are working alongside the sports councils and the national governing body for basketball to help improve the prospects for the game at all levels. Over the past five years since 2014, Sport England has invested £2,910,834 in basketball-focused projects and facilities in England to get more people playing. Separate from this, Sport England is investing over £6m in Basketball England between 2017 and 2021. This sum includes £814,000 to enhance the Satellite Clubs offer to help transition young people from education into community clubs earlier and quicker and create a lasting sporting habit for them.